


Gloaming

by irrelevant



Category: DCU, DCU - Comicverse
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen, hazy shade of winter, wee!Dick
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-08-15
Updated: 2010-08-15
Packaged: 2017-10-11 02:58:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/107598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/irrelevant/pseuds/irrelevant
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Your house is as big as a circus tent all by itself!" -Dick Grayson, from <i>Dark Victory</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Gloaming

"Is this what you want?"

That's all anyone asks him anymore, seems like. The cops, the nuns, the judge in her fancy chair---even Alfred.

Do the clothes fit, does the food satisfy? Is the room to your liking, Master Dick? If not, there are others...

They keep giving him _choices_, but there's only one he wants to make and it's the only one he can't make because it was made for him whether he wanted it to be or not.

The Bat's the only one who gets it. _He_ doesn't ask what Dick wants, he already knows. He doesn't wait for someone else to decide, he makes the choice himself, then follows through.

"Is there... anything in particular you'd like?" Bruce Wayne asks. "I've never had--that is, I haven't lived with anyone but Alfred for a long time. I know birthday presents are supposed to be surprises, but--"

"It doesn't matter. I'm not picky." Dick shoves his hands into his pockets and looks out the high windows of Bruce's study into the back garden.

The trees are bare, and so is the ground. Bruce Wayne's gardeners come every day and the leaves never even get the chance to pile up.

"We could go somewhere, if you want. For a week or so?"

Haly's winter quarters are in Florida. His parents... it happened in June. It's November, now. It's winter.

"That's okay," Dick says. "I'd rather train."

"Dick."

He knows Bruce is behind him; thanks to the Bat he even knows _where_. He wishes the Bat was here, but right now it's just Bruce and his choices and the clean, bare ground outside.

Bruce steps closer until Dick can see his reflection in the window, just the outline of him. He says, "I didn't want this to become your life as well."

Dick wants to tell him it's not his choice, except it kind of is. He sucks his impatience down into his lungs, lets it trickle back out, spent and used-up as old breath.

He says, "It'd be good to have a full flying rig down there."

For a few really long seconds, he doesn't think Bruce is going to say anything. There's a sound like the rush of wings and then Bruce says, "All right. It's almost six. Go tell Alfred I'll be fifteen minutes late for dinner."

Dick nods and, still not looking at Bruce, he turns and wanders out of the room.

He never liked Florida much, anyway.


End file.
